May 20.—My recent Note as to whether or not birds are clever has tempted me to write a few more lines on the subject. if only to get the main thought straight in my own head. Let me, therefore, try to think of one or two things which are, beyond dispute "clever"—even if we do have to explain them by that most unsatisfactory word "instinct." Think for a moment of the nests of birds: a Penduline Tit's nest (recently set up in the local Museum) will show beautiful work such as no human fingers could produce without machinery—while the unseen ming, made of vegetable fluff, has a softness which no human workman could create: think of a Tailor-bird (unfortunately not to be seen here) sewing the framework of its nest together without the aid of any needle: think of our great clumsy Magpies making mud foundations, creating their framework with heavy sticks, filling in the walls woven twigs. finally putting on a roof, and usually seeing that the entrance guarded with twigs taken from thorny trees or shrubs. Scores of examples could be given of such ingenuity shown by birds in the building of their homes. Then we must think of the question of migrations: men have studied and argued as to how birds could ate the oceans without any instruments. but could never think of a better solution thai the word "instinct" which, if imputed to themselves, they would call cleverness. Again, I often wonder if we do not misunderstand birds when we argue about their "behaviour"
(scientific term for thought plus action). A gull return to its nest to find a nearly-hatched egg half eaten by a marauder: it chases away the robber and then eats the remaining part of its own offspring: "disgusting" says the observer, "this shows that birds have no true mentality": but why should not the guill's action be based on cleanliness—since birds have no garbage-removal service? Then there was the curious case of the Penguins in the Antarctic (Addie) who, when they first saw men, brought them stones as gifts (instead of food? This story (a true one) sounds almost biblical Still leaves me wondering whether ally are clever
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.